The Doctor and the Libertine - Callie Hutton Page 0,19

in the chaos.

“Oh, thank God you’re here. I need so much help.” She closed her eyes and choked down the tears. If she cried it would only upset the patients and they had enough worries and pain to handle. Even though she was quite certain Edwin didn’t know a bandage from a splint, he was two more hands.

“I am at your service, good doctor.” He made his way over to her. “What has happened?”

She took a deep breath, so grateful for his unexpected appearance. “There was a train accident and from the little information I got, many were injured and,” she lowered her voice, “some were killed. Hospital is full, and I believe most, if not all, doctors in Bath are in this same position.” She waved her hand around.

Edwin nodded, shrugged out of his jacket, and began to roll up his sleeves. “What do you want me to do?”

“I hate to give you the messy job, but all these patients who have cuts and scrapes need to have them cleaned, salve and a bandage put on the minor ones, and a notation if you believe a cut needs sewing up, or if it seems serious.”

Edwin continued to roll up his sleeves as she resumed her examination of one of the patients. “While you do that, I will be checking for broken bones and life-threatening injuries.”

Without another word, Edwin moved to the patient closest to him and spoke with the young man.

Rayne breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he had no medical training, just having someone else with her worked to calm her. She looked up at one point and Edwin was returning to the room. She hadn’t even seen him leave. Too busy to ask where he’d been, she returned to her work.

He dove right in again and continued to speak to the patients. He was apparently using his charm on a few of the ladies who were not seriously injured, but probably upset. A giggle once in a while had Rayne smiling to herself.

“We’re here to help,” Lottie and Addie swept into the room, followed by Pamela.

“What?” She stared at her three friends, each of them moving to a bed to speak with a patient. They each wore a long apron that covered their dresses. Yes. It appeared they had arrived to work.

“I brought Cook with me. She will fix a meal for everyone,” Addie said, totally ignoring Rayne’s stunned expression. Her friend was always an organized, take-charge person.

“How did you… Why are you…?” She fumbled, not sure if she was even making sense.

Addie dipped a linen in a pan of hot water and began cleaning the wound on an older man’s forehead. It was quite a gash and it would require stitching. “Lord Sterling sent word to my home that you were in a bad position and needed all the help you could get. I had heard about the train accident, so I assumed that was what you needed assistance with. I took my carriage to Lottie’s house, then Pamela’s and we are all here to help you.”

“He did that?” She looked over at Edwin who was busy wrapping a bandage around an older woman’s arm.

Edwin had not been sure if Lady Berkshire would appreciate receiving a note from him. After his major misstep and foolishness with Mrs. Westbrooke, he most likely occupied a prominent position on the ‘dastardly devil’ list for the women who called themselves the Merry Misfits of Bath.

However, he knew from the time spent at the infirmary that these ladies were close friends with Rayne. He also knew their compassion for her would override their dislike of him.

He had spent the past two days avoiding his friends and brooding in front of the fireplace in his drawing room. Twice he limped to the sideboard and poured himself a brandy and twice he dumped it into the fireplace, hearing the hiss as it turned into steam, taking his weakness with it.

For the first time in a couple of years the activities that normally appealed to him no longer enticed. Twice Manchester and Brennan barged into his drawing room attempting to drag him out. He used the excuse of his leg, and even went so far as to hide his cane from view.

They left, disgusted with him. Even more worrisome was he then found himself going through his as yet unused library looking for medical books.

Medical books!

That morning he finally admitted he missed Rayne and the busyness of the infirmary. He missed her smile,